MOSCOW, June 24. /TASS/. President of Russia Vladimir Putin made an address to Russian citizens, the Armed Forces and law-enforcement agencies on Saturday.
"I address Russian citizens, the personnel of the Armed Forces, law-enforcement agencies and special services. Fighters and commanders who are now fighting at their combat positions, repelling enemy attacks and doing this heroically. I know that as I spoke to the commanders of all the directions last night," the head of state said.
"I address also those who have been drawn into a criminal adventure by deceit or threats and pushed onto the path of a serious crime, an armed mutiny," Putin said.
As the head of state stressed, today Russia "is engaged in its heaviest struggle for its future." "It is repelling the aggression by Neo-Nazis and their handlers," Putin said.
The Telegram channel of Wagner private military company founder Yevgeny Prigozhin earlier posted several audio records with his statements, in which he claimed that strikes had allegedly been delivered against his formations and accused the country’s military leadership of that. In the wake of this, the Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia has opened a criminal case into a call for an armed mutiny. The FSB urged Wagner fighters not to obey Prigozhin’s orders and take measures for his detention.
Russia’s Defense Ministry dismissed as untrue the reports that Russian forces had allegedly delivered a strike against "the rear bases of the Wagner private military company.".